This had just enough to justify a final sequel. The tropes are definitely feeling tired by now but luckily, the writers knew this and put quite a few twists on the classic lines to make them feel fresh one more time. It’s odd but somehow, even though these movies were comically over the top, the characters grow on you. There’s a definite chemistry in the cast and by the end, you actually feel some emotion for these characters. I didn’t expect that but I can’t deny there’s some heart here.
One of the aspects of this series that I’ve really admired is the way they depicted Murtagh’s family. It was great to see a strong black family depicted throughout the series. Really great family dynamic.
Many of the stunts here are are clearly done with stunt men and it does become distracting at times. The cast is clearly getting older by this point and can’t do the action they used to. The addition of Chris Rock doesn’t really do anything for the plot or laughs. He gets a few “okay” lines but he’s nearly superfluous here. Joe Pesci on the other hand gets some real dramatic stuff toward the end and knocks it out of the park.
One shocking thing were all the Asian-racist remarks from the main characters. Asians seem to always get the short end of the stick in American cinema. Those racist comments and jokes were pretty distracting especially considering that the series has gone out of its way to address black issues in America.
This one takes a while for the actors to slip into their old characters. The first 25% feels a little “off” but once it kicks in, the momentum keeps up and by the end, it all feels earned and actually sports quite an emotional, crowd-pleasing ending. I can see why this was popular with audiences at the time. It may be dated but there is undeniable charisma to the whole thing.